Recently, with increasing development of computer systems and associated peripheral devices, the data transmission speed is gradually increased in order to implement more complicated tasks such as digital signal transmission and image analysis. For meeting these requirements, fiber optic communication technologies are developed to achieve long-distance or short-distance signal transmission. That is, the uses of high-speed optical signals can replace the electrical signals to transmit information at a higher speed.
A fiber-optic communication module is used for transmitting signals between electronic devices. For increasing the design flexibility and the maintenance ease of the system, the fiber-optic communication module is swappable to be inserted into a corresponding receptacle of a communication device. Moreover, the fiber-optic communication module is usually equipped with a de-latching mechanism for locking the fiber-optic communication module in the receptacle or for ejecting the fiber-optic communication module from the receptacle.
FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded view illustrating a conventional fiber-optic communication module with a de-latching mechanism. As shown in FIG. 1, the fiber-optic communication module 1 comprises a main body 10, a sliding member 11 and a handle 12. The sliding member 11 comprises two sliding arms 111. The sliding arms 111 are slidably disposed in corresponding tracks 101 of the main body 10. The handle 12 is combined with the main body 10 and the sliding member 11. When the handle 12 is pulled in response to an external force, the sliding arms 111 of the sliding member 11 are slid within the corresponding tracks 101. Moreover, each sliding arm 111 has a protrusion 112 at one end of the sliding arm 111. The receptacle (not shown) of the communication device has an inwardly-bent resilient slice (not shown). When the fiber-optic communication module 1 is inserted into the receptacle, the resilient slice of the receptacle is engaged with the protrusion 112 at the end of the sliding arm 111 of the sliding member 11, so that the fiber-optic communication module 1 is latched in the receptacle. On the other hand, when the handle 12 is rotated and the sliding arm 111 of the sliding member 11 is slid within the corresponding track 101, the resilient slice of the receptacle is pushed by the protrusion 112 of the sliding arm 111. Consequently, the fiber-optic communication module 1 is in a de-latched status, and the fiber-optic communication module 1 can be detached from the receptacle.
A process of assembling the fiber-optic communication module 1 will be illustrated as follows. Firstly, the sliding member 11 is aligned with the handle 12, and then the sliding member 11 and the handle 12 are aligned with the main body 10. In particular, the sliding arms 111 of the sliding member 11 are disposed within the corresponding tracks 101 of the main body 10; and a perforation 113 of the sliding member 11, a first guiding slot 121 of the handle 12 and a second guiding slot 104 of the main body 10 are aligned with each other. Then, a first screwing element 13 is penetrated through the perforation 113, the first guiding slot 121 and the second guiding slot 104, so that the sliding member 11 and the handle 12 are combined with the main body 10. Then, the handle 12 is pivotally coupled to the main body 10 through a second screwing element 14. Consequently, the handle 12 is rotatable relative to the main body 10 and the sliding arm 111 of the sliding member 11 is slidably disposed within the corresponding track 101. After a case 102 and a bottom plate 103 of the main body 10 are combined together through plural third screwing elements 15, the fiber-optic communication module 1 is assembled.
From the above discussions, the process of assembling the conventional fiber-optic communication module 1 has some drawbacks. For example, the associated components should be firstly aligned with each other, and then the main body 10, the sliding member 11 and the handle 12 are combined together through plural screwing elements (i.e., the first screwing elements 13, the second screwing elements 14 and the third screwing elements 15). Consequently, the assembling process is complicated and time-consuming, and the cost of fabricating and managing the components is increased.
Moreover, while the fiber-optic communication module 1 is de-latched from the receptacle, if the pulling force is too large, the sliding arm 111 of the sliding member 11 is readily shifted. Under this circumstance, the sliding arm 111 is suffered from deformation or escaped from the track 101. In other words, the de-latching mechanism of the conventional fiber-optic communication module 1 is not user-friendly.
Therefore, there is a need of providing a fiber-optic communication module with an improved de-latching mechanism in order to eliminate the above drawbacks.